CSK and MI players at the end of the match
CSK and MI players at the end of the match

New record in IPL viewership as 200 million people watch CSK-MI match

Chennai Super Kings broke a string of five consecutive defeats to Mumbai Indians with their victory in the opening game on Saturday.

The opening match of Indian Premier League (IPL) between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians had record viewership as 200 million people tuned in to watch the contest. 

Chennai Super Kings managed to clinch a comfortable victory on Saturday against the defending champions with five wickets to spare. 

The official Twitter handle of IPL thanked the fans for this feat. “Thank you, India and (world). It's been a dream start to Dream11 IPL. We've recorded highest ever TV & DIGITAL viewership in IPL history. 200 million viewership - MI v CSK,” it said. 

Jay Shah, the Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also took to Twitter to share the news of the accomplishment. He wrote, “Opening match of Dream 11 IPL sets a new record! As per BARC, an unprecedented 20 crore people tuned in to watch the match. Highest ever opening day viewership for any sporting league in any country- no league has ever opened as big as this.” 

The match marked the return of former Indian skipper MS Dhoni to the sport after he had announced his retirement from international cricket in August. Dhoni returned to the cricket field after 437 days as the last match he played was the semi-finals of the 2019 ICC World Cup against New Zealand. 

With the win on Saturday, Dhoni became the first captain in IPL history to register 100 wins. Chennai Super Kings also broke a five-match losing streak against Mumbai Indians with their victory in the opening game. 

It was earlier reported that over 70 lakh viewers were watching the match on Hotstar, as they were confined to their homes due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Hotstar is the streaming partner for Star Sports, the official broadcaster of IPL. 

The IPL, which was supposed to happen in India in March, was shifted to the United Arab Emirates due to the ongoing pandemic. 

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